One player who just doesn't give a fu*k. He will spear you right in your heart even if you are his mother and its Mothers Day. Choke? Tell that to Duncan and the boys who have no heart what so ever. You are seeing what seperates the men from the pamper wearing kids. Say what you want about the Lakers. They have the killer instinct and the Kings better try and develop it in 3 days.
For 3 quarter's he's Tim Duncan, the MVP. For the last quarter, he's TIMID Duncan. Spurs flat out CHOKED today, they should have won that game and literally gave it away. Probably a blowout in Game 5 after this heartbreaking loss.
I'm trying to figure out if its that the Lakers have such a deadly killer instinct - or that the Spurs have a complex that makes them fold vs the Purple and Gold in crunch time - their 4th quarters in this series have been atrocious, and it was only a miscue by the other team that has kept them from being swept.
Kobe was a killa tonight. Did you see how high he elevated for that rebound? That's just pure will, the instinctive will to win. Who can do what he did on an off-night? Man, he was sensational. And I'll admit it, I've always hated Kobe and his antics. But this...Kobe Bryant is an amazing clutch player. Robert Horry. What more can you say? He was unbelievable in Game 4. How many rebounds did he have? He was cleaning the boards. He also had a bunch of buckets and a couple crucial steals. Duncan had a good game, but Bob overall played good defense on the MVP. I really can't believe I'm saying this...but I like the Lakers. I want them to win because they're the Lakers...not because I just don't want anyone else to win. In 2 games, they've risen from my 28th favorite team to my 3rd favorite team. They never break down. They never crack in pressure situations. Plus I like seeing the Spurs CHOKE!!!
Kobe really stepped up. I don't like him, but ya gotta give him his props. I just really wish LA played someone with some heart, cause Tim is definately not stepping up in the 4th quarter. I am convinced of one thing though.....there is no way in hell this LA team could have beaten our Rockets. Hakeem would have a field day (if the ref's let him play).
You know, Kobe may rub people the wrong way because he acts like Jordan, but you know something, this guy plays like Jordan. Like last year, he is the biggest reason why the Spurs lost, and despite the addition of Bowen, Kobe is the reason this year too. Tremedous player. As for the Spurs, it's time to rebuild the role players. The Spurs won in 1999 because they had tough guys like Mario Elie and Jerome Kersey. Right now, all they have are a bunch of passive stiffs. Nobody wanted to shoot. How tight did Antonio Daniels play down the stretch? He had me laughing out loud. What was Ferry doing creating jumpers off the dribble? Porter hasn't hit a clutch shot since 1992. The Spurs role players are not versitle enough to win the title.
The Lakers, more than any team I've seen since the Bulls, are composed and do nut fluster. The whole team is full of assassins. They're down something like 9 or 10 in the 4th I believe and they're on the sidelines joking. Shaw and Shaq are smiling. Kobe's chitchatting with refs. It's insane. The team just thinks they can win and to think otherwise would be well, unthinkable. The great Texas Two Choke may be in progress with the Spurs and Mavs leading the way.
The Lakers are the most mentally tough team in the NBA. You can thank that to Phil. Remember back a few years ago, when the Lakers would be the team that choked? The Spurs don't seem to be that mentally tough, but I don't think they necessarily choked. It was a matter of LA just cranking up the D.
I agree. The lakers play duncan effectively because they know he never goes to the baseline to get a shot. Dream is mobile enough to go to the baseline with the fadeaway or spinning layup. Hakeem would further confuse the Laker D by sometimes going to the jump hook in the paint.
Kobe did hit some huge huge shots, but for the most part I think SA lost this game more than LA took it. SA flat out choked with their panicky offense. Looked like 94 Game 2 Hou-Pho. If SA had a new coach and a clutch element to them, they'd probably beat or come very close to beating LA. I hate to say it, but it starts off with Duncan. He's the man on that team and he's got to become a clutch performer in the 4th quarter of these games and try to get his teammates to follow. Right now, they see his hesitance and lack of confidence and it makes them play tighter as well. Popovich is a moron for having 40 year old, can't create his shot Porter on the floor in the last play and going to him. Parker was doing circles around LA's defense all game. parker is the real deal folks, he'll be better than Steve in a few years if he isn't already (I think I'd rather have parker myself).
Spurs are finished. Lakers are making it hard on themselves but at least the games are more exciting...
I agree with this. Mario was a bulldog and Kersey was tough. Then there was Sean Elliot, who was physically dying inside, who showed he had a heart of steel. Overall, these are entertaining games. I don't particularly like either team, but the Lakers are certainly proving they have the Killer Instinct. The Spurs have no toughness other than Duncan. Robinson played well too, but did not step it up.
So, you don't think the Lakers would guard baseline? The Lakers would just shift their defense around. It's called making adjustments.
If they're playing Dream of '94-'95 it's called losing. But this thread is about Kobe and he's been playing well... I don't like him, but he's been clutch. These Spurs are not the Rocks of the championship years, however. (couldn't help myself)
Obviuosly the Lakers would play Dream differently, but the Lakers would have to react very fast since Hakeem can go to his right or left. And as good as the Lakers are, they do not rotate as fast as the Sonics teams of the mid-90s. When teams made adjustments to Hakeem's great play in the 2 championship runs, they never worked. SHAQ's magic comes to mind. I need to clarify something, I agreed with the Part about hakeem having a field day against the Lakers, not about if the Rockets champion teams could beat these Lakers teams. It's a toss up to me.
Shaq would score as many points, grab as many boards as dream. Everyone says Shaq couldn't guard Dream, but it's not like Dream would have a chance on Shaq. Shaq of now=Dream. The biggest factor in the Lakers favor, is that they have Kobe. Drexler was out of his prime, and was a very good guard, but Kobe would run circles around him. Drexler did not create enough from the perimeter IMO, to make the Rockets a better team. Kobe, on the other hand, creates so many scoring chances. The Lakers have the best help/trapping defense in the league. It's not as good as the Sonics, but it's as close any team has been. And obviously, the Sonics had our number in the early to mid 90s. Olajuwon also would be pretty worn down from guarding Shaq, which would mean his jumpshot. and overall energy would be down. Don't tell me that the Rockets would use Robert Horry to body up on Shaq. Moreoever, the Rockets were so great during their run, because they were mentally stronger than every team they faced. Against the Lakers, it would be a push.
You cannot blame this loss on duncan. He played tough all game and was the only reason they had that lead. In the 4th, they doubled and tripled duncan the whole quarter, and none of tim's crappy teammates could do a damn thing. Ferry trying to hit leaning jumpers? Robinson hesitating the one time he is open, letting shaq recover? He just needs someone else who can hit a shot, because the lakers are mobbing him.
